


Bittersweet Baby

by Ezzy



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Pre-Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-15
Updated: 2013-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-04 16:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1083168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ezzy/pseuds/Ezzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Howard feels things. No, not emotions, though he knows people suspect he is lacking in those, but really, he’s an engineer and machines don’t deal with feelings. What Howard feels can’t really be explained, it’s like a fifth sense; nothing dramatic but it just means that sometimes he just knows stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bittersweet Baby

Sometimes, Howard feels things. No, not emotions, though he knows people suspect he is lacking in those, but really, he’s an engineer and machines don’t deal with feelings. What Howard feels can’t really be explained, it’s like a fifth sense; nothing dramatic but it just means that sometimes he just knows stuff. Like how he knew the first assistant they assigned him once he joined the war effort would turn traitor. He hadn’t yet, still young and innocent and patriotic, but with no rhyme or reason Howard knew in a few years he would receive a bribe he wouldn’t turn down, and Howard didn’t want it to be his work the boy passed on. 

But that’s just why he doesn’t talk about it, or even like it for that matter. Oh it’s useful, might even have saved his life a few times, but there’s no logic to it. Howard likes logic, same reason he likes machines and became an engineer, but he can’t even pass it off as predicting the outcome with the known variables. It’s just there. 

It’s a totally different feeling he gets when he first meets Steve Rogers; that’s all natural, though perhaps not logical. Admiration, belief, trust; all things that perhaps could become more. Except not. Because as soon as he sees him that little thing appears and Howard knows, just knows, that this man was not meant to be his in any meaningful way. There’s a connection, oh yes, but not him. Never for him. 

And then Peggy’s there and he doesn’t mind too much, because Peggy’s a great gal, and will no doubt be very good for Steve, and they’re friends so that’s how Howard should feel. Not for you, whispers the voice at the back of his head, not for any of you, and Howard hates it, hates it so much, so he ignores it. Until Steve goes down and it really is too late. 

Everyone’s devastated of course; Steve was well loved, and all anyone can do is console themselves with the fact there was nothing they could do. Howard knows that better than most.

Years past, and Howard becomes a rich man, and decides to stop ignoring the…sense. It’s helped him with business in more ways than he could have predicted, and now that it has he decided to form a search for the plane. For Steve. There’s a mutant movement going on, but he’s not quite brave enough to try and make that connection, not as brave as he was when he agreed to be Erskine’s assistant. He’s an eccentric millionaire now anyway, might as well act like it. And if he genuinely knows Steve’s still alive in an inexplicable way, well, that’s his secret not to tell. 

He meets Maria at a party, and she’s not the most glamorous gal in the room, but she’s beautiful and smart and besides he’s getting on and it’s probably time to settle down. It’s necessary says the voice. He ignores it but doesn’t. 

Tony is, well, Tony’s perfect. Or as perfect as a baby can be. He’s all round cheeks and fluffy hair and big, big brown eyes. As soon as Howard holds him he knows two things; 1) That Tony is going to make him proud and 2) That this is it.

Howard tries not to let that affect their relationship, and he does love Tony, he does, but it’s just a bit too painful knowing that you’ve waited your entire life and its not meant for you. He never tells Tony he was Howard’s greatest creation, because it’s a bit too bittersweet. He regrets that just before the car crashes. 

Tony’s inventions dig Captain America out of the ice twenty years later, and Steve Rogers meets Howard Stark’s son a few months after. Neither knows that an entire life went into this meeting, and it doesn’t get off to the best start. It gets better, and then it gets brilliant. 

It’s still a little bittersweet.


End file.
